ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
hard process ,” says Pope-Harden , then-president of the Avondale / Glen Elder Neighborhood Association . “ It took the community a long time to actually dream what was possible .” Residents imagined solar-powered benches with charging stations for phones and laptops , a coffee shop in a vacant lot , food stands , bike trails , pedestrian paths , even a petting zoo .
The Sacramento Community Land Trust is helping evaluate options for vacant lots along the creek , says cochair Rose Cabral ( Cole is also on the board ). Founded in 2019 as a nonprofit , the purpose of the land trust is to acquire land and maintain ownership permanently , and it gives residents the opportunity to determine what should be done in those spaces , which could be something like an urban farm or a coffee shop . It could also be single-family homes ; a land trust still allows homeowners to build equity but with restrictions on how high the sale price can go to preserve affordability and prevent gentrification .
By the end of 2019 , the Morrison Creek Revitalization Project had collected feedback from about 300 residents , a true example of community-led engagement . It had attracted funding from big-name supporters , including Kaiser Pemanente , Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency , California Endowment and Regional San , and several nonprofits signed on as partners . In
Kim Williams , hub director of Sacramento Building Healthy Communities and a member of Sacramento Investment Without Displacement , speaks at a news conference at Fruit Ridge Community Collaborative in Sacramento in September to publicly demand a community benefits agreement with UC Davis for Aggie Square . PHOTO BY SARA NEVIS
46 comstocksmag . com | November 2020